I’ll Be Home (Safe) for the Holidays

Everyone knows how it goes, “Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse…” With all due respect to the famous poet Clement Clarke Moore, it is evident his version of the holidays did not entail last minute Christmas present shopping, misplacing his 7^th roll of tape, ‘Clark Griswold’ing’ the turkey, or dealing with airports and traffic jams on his way home for the holidays. Ah yes, the hustle and bustle of holiday travel; the most wonderful time of the year is also the most traveled time of the year.

Take a look at these stats on North Americans traveling near and far during the holiday season:

• 2016 holiday season (American Thanksgiving – New Year’s Day) is expected to be the most traveled holiday season since 2007
• 275 miles (442km) is the average long-distance trip North Americans travel to their destination during the holidays
• Average of 54% rise in North American travelers partaking in a long-distance trip during the holiday period from American Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day

Traveling has become as much a part of the holiday season as eggnog. In between choruses of Jingle Bells and Santa Claus is Coming to Town; I am guessing not many of us (myself included) have given much thought to what happens if a crisis occurs while traveling home for the holidays. I doubt the majority of travelers have looked into comprehensive coverage for the week(s) spent across state/province, country borders, or overseas. Having a concrete plan of how to deal with a crisis is essential for travelers, especially during the most traveled time of the year.

The thought is you are going home for the holidays and aside from eating too much fruitcake, what could go wrong? Unfortunately, the potential of a crisis occurring is always present. For example, the possibility of a natural disaster interrupting your trip is not far-fetched, whether it is a tropical storm hitting South Florida during your Thanksgiving trip to grandmas, or a severe December ice storm on the East Coast. The potential of accidentally being caught in political unrest such a protest or acts of terror are real factors all travelers have to consider, even during regular holiday travel.

Before you pack your bags to head home for the holidays, make sure you are covered. Give yourself the gift of peace of mind; the holidays are chaotic enough without you having to worry about what to do if a crisis occurs!

Wherever your holiday travel finds you, happy holidays and safe travels to all!